A life of lockdown?

A life of lockdown campaign logo features the campaign name along with a figure sitting hunched over to signify isolation, with a pink brain showing in their head to represent brain injury. The logo with the text Action for Brain Injury Week 2021 17-23 sits alongside it.

A life of lockdown? focuses on social isolation after brain injury, a problem we know has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The campaign aims to give a voice to survivors and carers to help them better explain to their friends and families the challenges they face as a result of brain injury. As well as having an awareness-raising focus, it will also have positive messages and tools to help people make a difference, such as guides and top tips for friends of brain injury survivors and carers.

On this page:

A life of lockdown? Reach out to help out!

"It's more important than ever to be aware of the implications that come with a brain injury, and that we find the right support." Belinda Medlock.

Covid-19 has been tough on everyone. Repeated lockdowns have left people isolated and lonely, with a well-documented negative impact on mental wellbeing.

But what if you experienced isolation every day? What if brain injury had robbed you of the confidence to engage with society, while the family, friends and networks you relied on for support drifted away?

This is the reality for many brain injury survivors and their loved ones. People like Belinda Medlock, who sustained a stroke at the age of 47 which left her with ongoing cognitive issues and chronic fatigue.

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How to manage isolation after brain injury

A young woman wearing headphones looks out of her window

We’ve put together a list of top tips to help you cope with and overcome the challenges of isolation, suggested by brain injury survivors and experts in the field.

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How to help someone with a brain injury: Top tips for friends and family

Two women talk over coffee in a quiet cafe

There are simple ways in which you can help to ensure that your friend or loved one does not experience a life of lockdown. We offer some tips on how to best support someone after brain injury.

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Isolation and loneliness: Life with no filter podcast

In this special podcast episode recorded to support Headway's A life of lockdown? campaign, Kavita Basi, Vanessa Robinson, Brooke Trotter and Rod Maxwell explore the theme of isolation and loneliness – an issue that has been talked about a lot through the Covid-19 pandemic, but which is all-too-familiar to the many people who live with the ongoing effects of brain injury.

Read more about the Life with no filter podcast

Mindfulness training with Dr Niels Detert

Mindfulness is a technique that has been around in different forms for many years. More recently it been recognised as a useful form of meditation that can help with a variety of issues including coping with the effects of brain injury, which may be helpful for those experiencing feelings of social isolation. In this video, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr Niels Detert explains the foundation of mindfulness, how to practice it and leads the viewer through an interactive mindfulness session.

A life of lockdown? Elizabeth's story

"The lockdowns have been tough on us all, but having a brain injury can leave you feeling like this a lot of the time." - Elizabeth Wilkins

The effects of isolation have been felt more keenly by everyone during the national lockdowns we have been through, but Elizabeth thinks this may help non-brain injured individuals understand what life is like for those with a brain injury most of the time.

Read Elizabeth's story

Get involved: We need YOU!

You can get involved with our campaign by sharing our infographics, images, videos and your own experiences on social media. Use the hashtags #ALifeOfLockdown #ABIWeek to join the conversation. The more people share, the more we'll increase understanding of social isolation after brain injury!

As well as sharing this very page, here are some other things you can share:

Explore

Browse the links below to explore more of the campaign...

How to manage isolation after brain injury

Top tips to help you cope with and overcome the challenges of isolation after brain injury.

Find out more
 

Emerging from lockdown: Tips for brain injury survivors

Some may be feeling anxious or nervous about the changes and pressures that a return to socialising may introduce.

Find out more
 

A life of lockdown? Derek's story

"Partners, friends, people who have been close and known me for years – simply walked away."

Find out more
 

A life of lockdown? Melanie's story

“The lockdowns have been tough on us all, but having a brain injury can leave you feeling like this a lot of the time."

Find out more
 

A life of lockdown? Elizabeth's story

"Empathise with others and be grateful for the small things!”

Find out more
 

Isolation and loneliness: Life with no filter podcast

Episode 15 of the Life with no Filter podcast explores the theme of isolation and loneliness.

Find out more
 

My podcast by Nikki Webber MBE

"I wrote this song called Alive because I wanted a song that made me feel alive, but also made me realise that anything is possible in the mainstream, and we have to be part of that."

Find out more
 

Mindfulness Training after Brain Injury with Dr Niels Detert

In this video, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr Niels Detert explains the foundation of mindfulness, how to practice it and leads the viewer through an interactive mindfulness session.

Find out more
 

The debilitating impact of social isolation

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Impact of lockdown

Explore the findings of a Headway study into the impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown on people with brain injury and their families.

Find out more